KR100937547B1 - Surveillance system - Google Patents

Abstract

For example, a monitoring system suitable for preventing crime in a residential area includes a plurality of terminals 31, 32, ... for monitoring whether a predetermined monitoring point is a normal state or an abnormal state, and a terminal 31, 32. And a central processing unit 10 for controlling the setting / release operation of the boundary operation. The central processing unit 10 is provided with communication means for receiving information on the normal / abnormal condition from the terminal and transmitting predetermined information including instructions to the terminal. Each terminal is provided with communication means for transmitting information on the normal / abnormal condition to the central processing unit and also receiving predetermined information from the central processing unit. Thus, two-way communication between the central processing unit and a plurality of terminals can be realized. The plurality of terminals 31, 32, ... are provided with a terminal having an emergency call unit which operates and calls or notifies in an emergency, and notification means indicating that an abnormal state occurrence notification has been received by a predetermined contact. It may also include a terminal having a.

Description

Surveillance System {MONITOR SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring occurrence of an abnormal state as a central processing unit and a terminal, and more particularly, to a monitoring system suitable for preventing crime in a residence.

In recent years, in order to cope with the increasing number of theft crimes, the demand for a surveillance system in a residence is increasing. Conventional monitoring systems for monitoring intrusions are composed of a plurality of sensor terminals for detecting intruders and a central processing unit for issuing an alarm.

For example, the surveillance system shown in US Pat. No. 5,920,270 has a plurality of sensor terminals and a housing information board. When the sensor terminal detects an intruder, the monitoring system issues an alarm from the loudspeaker placed on the housing information board.

In another monitoring system shown in US Pat. No. 5,461,365, when a terminal possessed by a user detects the occurrence of an emergency situation, emergency information is wirelessly transmitted to the central processing unit, and an alarm is issued from the central processing unit.

In another monitoring system shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-16715, an information terminal possessed by a user and a monitoring unit (photographing device) serving as a central processing unit can communicate with each other. Has a function of monitoring a state of a place near the monitoring unit and a function of outputting an amplified sound transmitted from the information terminal.

In the monitoring system shown in US Pat. No. 5,920,270, the place where the alarm sound is generated corresponds to the place of the central processing unit serving as a housing information board, and because the terminal is not installed and the intrusion occurs, Threat effect is insufficient.

In the monitoring system shown in US Pat. No. 5,461,365, when an emergency situation occurs, it is possible to confirm whether emergency information is correctly received by a receiver around the central processing unit only at the place where the central processing unit is installed. In a place where the user transmits a signal, the user cannot easily recognize that the information is correctly received.

For example, according to the monitoring system shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-16715, when an intrusion occurs in a place away from a place where a monitoring unit serving as a central processing unit is arranged, Difficult to threaten

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a first object thereof is to provide a monitoring system capable of appropriately issuing an alarm at a place where an abnormal condition occurs.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide a monitoring system that can confirm that a contact has received information at a place where an abnormal condition occurs.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring system capable of performing voice communication at a place where an abnormal state occurs from a central processing unit and an external telephone.

The monitoring system according to the present invention includes a plurality of terminals for monitoring whether a predetermined monitoring point is in a normal state or an abnormal state, and one central processing unit for controlling setting / release of a boundary operation of the terminal. do. The central processing unit includes a communication unit that receives information on a normal / abnormal state from a terminal and also transmits predetermined information including instructions to the terminal. Each terminal is provided with a communication unit which transmits information on the normal / abnormal state to the central processing unit and also receives predetermined information from the central processing unit. By such a configuration, it is possible to realize a monitoring system capable of bidirectional communication between the central processing unit and a plurality of terminals.

In the monitoring system, at least one of the plurality of terminals may further include a controller that receives a command from the central processing unit and autonomously initiates alert operation, and an alarm unit that issues an alarm when an abnormal condition occurs.

Further, in the monitoring system, at least one of the plurality of terminals is notified by an emergency call unit that transmits information indicating an abnormal state by a user's operation, and at least one of a visual method and an audio method. The notification unit may further be provided. In this case, when the central processing unit receives information indicating an abnormal state from the emergency call unit of at least one terminal, it may transmit a confirmation signal to the terminal. When the terminal receives the confirmation signal from the central processing unit, the terminal may notify through the notification unit that the transmission of the information can be accepted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figure which shows the structure of the monitoring system by this invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a central processing unit as an example.

3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal provided with an intrusion sensor as an example.

4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal having an emergency call button as an example.

5 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the central processing unit.

6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a terminal provided with an intrusion sensor.

7 shows another example of the configuration of a terminal provided with an emergency call button.

8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal provided with an operation unit for remotely controlling the central processing unit.

9 is a diagram showing still another example of the configuration of a terminal provided with an intrusion sensor;

10 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a terminal provided with a human sensor.

11 is a flowchart of the boundary operation of the central processing unit.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a terminal provided with an emergency call button.

13 is a diagram showing still another example of the configuration of a terminal having an intrusion sensor;

Fig. 14 is a flowchart of the operation of the terminal (mainly setting operation of alarm setting data).

Fig. 15 is a flowchart of the boundary operation of the terminal.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, preferred embodiment of the monitoring system by this invention is described in detail with reference to an accompanying drawing.

(First embodiment)                 

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system according to the present invention. The monitoring system according to the present invention has a function of threatening and notifying when an invasion of a person is detected in a dwelling to prevent crime in the dwelling, and a function of notifying a predetermined notification destination when an emergency occurs in a resident. It is a security system provided with the back.

As shown in FIG. 1, the monitoring system includes a central processing unit 10 and a plurality of terminals 31 to 35. The central processing unit 10 and the terminals 31 to 35 are connected by wireless communication means. As a communication means, a specific low power wireless network (ECHONET) may be used.

The central processing unit 10 is connected to a public telephone line network 100 to which communication devices such as fixed telephones 71 and 73 and mobile phones 72 are connected, and the Internet 110 to which a data server 75 is connected. It is. In addition, the central processing unit 10 is connected to the telephone 61 in the house.

In the terminals 31 to 35, control of start / stop of boundary operation or setting of parameters is executed by the command transmitted from the central processing unit 10. In this case, the terminals 31 and 32 may include an intrusion sensor to detect the occurrence of the intrusion. The terminal 33 may include a human sensor to detect a person's approach. The terminal 34 may include an emergency call means to notify the user of the terminal 34 that an emergency situation has occurred. The terminal 35 includes operating means for remotely controlling the central processing unit 10. Other terminals for detecting a state different from those described above may be connected to the central processing unit 10. In the following description, the terminals 31 to 35 are collectively referred to as "30".

2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the central processing unit 10. The central processing unit 10 is connected to a data communication unit 11 for controlling data communication with the terminal 30, a voice communication unit 12 for modulating / demodulating voice and communicating with the terminal 30, and a public telephone line. An external line connection portion 13a to be connected to a network, a network connection portion 13b to be connected to the Internet, an external interface 13c to be connected to an external device, and an operation unit 14 for the user to perform various settings for the central processing unit 10. And a control unit 15 for controlling the overall operation of the central processing unit 10. The telephone line from the public telephone line network 100 is branched inside the telephone 61 and the central processing unit 10 by the external line connecting portion 13a. Thus, the telephone 61 can make a normal telephone call.

The voice communication unit 12 is connected to a voice output unit 12a for amplifying the voice output from the voice communication unit 12 and a voice input unit 12b for transmitting voice from the central processing unit 10 to the terminal 30. It is.

The operation unit 14 includes a plurality of buttons (keys) for inputting predetermined settings, and a display panel for displaying various types of information. On the display panel of the operation unit 14, for example, the state (normal / abnormal) of each terminal, setting information, and the like are displayed.

The external interface 13c includes a surveillance camera 62 capable of accumulating images, an internet camera 63 capable of connecting to the Internet, a flashlight 64 for notifying neighbors of occurrence of abnormality, and the like via an external terminal 13d. The external device of is connected. In such an external device, a voltage-free contact input terminal is provided, and an external terminal 13d is connected thereto.

The central processing unit 10 includes a data storage unit 15b that stores information necessary for the operation of the central processing unit 10. The data storage unit 15b stores contact information (telephone number) when an abnormal state occurs, information regarding a message according to the type of abnormal state, information on the location of the terminal, and a threat message. When an abnormal condition occurs, the contact information (telephone number) is given priority and stored. In addition, the data storage unit 15b stores operation history information or information regarding a normal / abnormal state of the terminal generated during the boundary operation.

3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal 31 (or the terminal 32) having an intrusion detection function. The terminal 31 is provided with a reed switch for detecting the occurrence of intrusion. The terminal 31 is attached to the window or door frame, and a magnet corresponding to this reed switch is attached to the movable window glass or the door movable part to detect the opening or closing state of the window or door. More specifically, the detection of the opening or closing state of a window or door can detect the occurrence of an intrusion.

The terminal 31 operates the data communication unit 41 for performing data communication with the central processing unit 10, the voice communication unit 42 for performing voice communication with the central processing unit 10, and the operation of the terminal 31. The control part 46 which controls this is provided. In addition, the terminal 31 includes an intrusion sensor 43 for detecting the occurrence of an intrusion and a voice output unit (loudspeaker, etc.) 44 for amplifying the voice signal received and demodulated by the voice communication unit 42. . In addition, the terminal 31 is provided with a voice input unit (microphone or the like) 45 for inputting external voice. The voices around the terminal 31 collected by the voice input unit 45 are modulated by the voice communication unit 42 and transmitted to the central processing unit 10.

When the intrusion sensor 43 detects the occurrence of the intrusion, an abnormal state signal (that is, a signal indicating that the intrusion has occurred) is output to the controller 46. Upon reception of this signal, the control unit 46 receives, as abnormal state information, a code indicating the occurrence of an abnormal state (occurrence of intrusion) and a terminal code (address code) of the control unit 46 via the data communication unit 41. Wireless transmission to the central processing unit 10.

4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal 34 having a notification function of occurrence of an emergency situation. The terminal 34 is provided with the emergency call button 47 instead of the intrusion sensor 43 of the structure shown in FIG. Emergency call button 47 is a pushbutton switch. The user can press this switch to notify the occurrence of an emergency. More specifically, the emergency call button 47 outputs an abnormal state signal (that is, a signal indicating that the user is in an emergency situation) to the control unit 46 when the switch is pressed. When the control unit 46 receives the abnormal state signal from the emergency call button 47, the control unit 46 wirelessly transmits the code indicating the occurrence of the abnormal state (the occurrence of the emergency situation) and the terminal code of the control unit through the data communication unit 41. To the central processing unit 10.

The overall operation of the monitoring system having the above configuration will be described below.

The alert operation of this monitoring system is initiated by the user setting the alert mode. The alert mode is set by the user on the operation unit 14 of the central processing unit 10. There are two types of boundary modes, one being the boundary mode set when the user goes out (going out boundary mode) and the other being the boundary mode set when the user is at home, i.e. when the user goes to bed. Home alert mode).

First, the operation of the outgoing alert mode, which is the alert mode set when the user goes out, will be described below.

When the user sets the outgoing alert mode on the operation unit 14 of the central processing unit 10 and goes out, the central processing unit 10 transmits a boundary operation start request signal to each terminal 30. When the terminal 30 receives the start request signal, the terminal 30 generates a buzzer sound for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) to call attention to the user. After that, the alert mode is set, and the alert operation starts. The buzzer sound generated at this time is different from the alarm sound generated when intrusion is detected.

During the alert operation, for example, when a window or a door in which the terminal 31 having an intrusion detection function is installed is opened (that is, when an abnormal state occurs), the intrusion sensor 43 is operated to cause an abnormality in the controller 46. Output a status signal. The control unit 46 transmits to the data communication unit 41 a code indicating the occurrence of an abnormal state and an address code of its own terminal code. As the abnormal state information, the data communication unit 41 sequentially transmits the address code of its own terminal code and the state code indicating the occurrence of intrusion to the central processing unit 10. After the terminal 31 transmits the abnormal state information, the voice communication unit 42 is set to the standby state by the control unit 46.

The central processing unit 10 receives a signal from the terminal 31 in the data communication unit 11, analyzes the signal in the control unit 15, determines a specific terminal that transmits the signal, and further detects intrusion. Recognize what happened. The control unit 15 operates the outer line connecting unit 13a to operate the outer line connecting unit 13a for the telephone 71 or 73 registered for notification corresponding to the telephone number registered in advance in the data storage unit 15b, or The cellular phone 72 is connected via the public telephone line network 100. Subsequently, the control unit 15 transmits a voice message notifying the place where the intrusion occurred and the occurrence of the intrusion. In this case, when the line is not connected to the contact (telephone) dialed by the external line connecting portion 13a, other contacts registered in the data storage unit 15b are dialed sequentially until the line is connected to the contact. If the line is not connected to the contact even though all registered contacts are dialed, the connection is attempted a predetermined number of times (for example, five times). If the line is not connected to the contact even after a predetermined number of attempts, it is recorded as history information in the predetermined recording area of the central processing unit 10 that the telephone communication cannot be established.

The user who has been notified by the telephones 71, ... transmits a predetermined tone signal from the telephones 71, .... When the central processing unit 10 receives a predetermined tone signal from the user who is going out through the external connection unit 13a, the control unit 15 operates the voice communication unit 12. The central processing unit 10 transmits a common call signal to the plurality of terminals 30 via the voice communication unit 12. At this time, in the terminal 31 which transmitted the abnormal state information, when the voice communication unit 42 is in a standby state and receives a common call signal from the voice communication unit 12 of the central processing unit 10, the terminal ( The voice communication unit 42 of 31 operates to establish a telephone call link between the terminal 31 and the telephones 71,... Through the central processing unit 10.

By the above operation, the voice generated in the vicinity of the terminal 31 where the occurrence of the intrusion is detected can be monitored by the telephones 71, ... through the voice input unit 45, and the periphery of the intrusion occurrence place. You can monitor the situation. In addition, the user may threaten the intruder by the voice of the user from the voice output unit 44 of the terminal 31. In addition, the receiver transmits a predetermined tone signal through the telephones 71, ... to execute the predetermined operation (e.g., stopping the alarm in the terminal described later) on the central processing unit 10. FIG. It may be.

In the present embodiment, the terminal 31 includes both the audio output unit 44 and the audio input unit 45. However, the terminal 31 may include either the audio output section 44 or the audio input section 45.

The operation of the home alert mode, which is the alert mode set when the user is at home, will be described below.

The home alert mode is set, for example, when the user is in a residence and goes to bed at night. The terminal operating in the home alert mode may be arbitrarily selected and set by the user. In this way, for example, when the user goes to bed on the second floor, only some terminals may receive abnormal status information, such as operating only the terminal on the first floor to receive abnormal status information. When the terminal 31 detects the occurrence of intrusion during the boundary operation in the home alert mode, abnormal state information is output from the terminal 31 to the central processing unit 10 as in the case of the outgoing alert mode. However, during the home alert mode, when the central processing unit 10 receives the abnormal state information from the terminal 31, the voice communication unit 12 is operated without executing the connection to the public telephone line network 100. More specifically, the audio signal from the terminal 31 is not transmitted to the external telephones 71,..., But the amplified voice is output from the audio output unit 12a of the central processing unit 10.

By the above operation, the central processing unit 10 can monitor the situation with voice generated around the intrusion occurrence place. In this case, the audio signal can be output to the terminal 31 from the audio input unit 12b of the central processing unit 10. Therefore, the central processing unit 10 may threaten the intruder by voice generated through the terminal 31.

In addition, in the present embodiment, both the audio output unit 12a and the audio input unit 12b are provided in the central processing unit 10. However, if necessary, only one of the audio output unit 12a and the audio input unit 12b may be provided in the central processing unit 10. In addition, in the home alert mode, a buzzer sound is generated to call the user's attention from the terminal 30 for a predetermined time when the home alert mode is set.

Regarding the setting operation and the release operation of the alert operation, the personal identification number or the password for setting / release the alert operation may be stored in the data storage unit 15b of the central processing unit 10. In this case, when the user sets / cancels the alerting operation, the user is requested to input a personal identification number or password, and the input personal identification number whose input personal identification number or password is stored in the data storage unit 15b. It is also possible to set / release the boundary operation only when.                 

When the terminal 30 is driven by a battery, the controller of the terminal may monitor the voltage of the battery and transmit a signal indicating the voltage drop to the central processing unit when the voltage of the battery is less than or equal to the predetermined voltage. At this time, upon receiving the signal, the CPU 10 may display on the display of the operation unit 14 an abnormal state in which the terminal has exhausted its battery.

The central processing unit 10 also stores, in the data storage unit 15b, information indicating an open / closed state transmitted from the terminal 31 or 32 having an intrusion sensor for detecting the opening or closing of a window or door. Therefore, when the boundary operation is set and input from the operation unit 14 and the state of the terminal 31 or 32 is "open", it is indicated on the display of the operation unit 14 that the door lock check is abnormal. Can also be displayed.

Next, the operation regarding an emergency call is described below.

Even when the user is at home, when an intrusion occurs and an urgent action is required, or when the user's physical condition is suddenly changed and an external call is required, the user carrying the terminal 34 having an emergency call function is called an emergency call button ( When 47 is pressed, the address code of the terminal 34 and the status code indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation can be transmitted to the central processing unit 10 as in the case of the alert mode.

The central processing unit 10 receives a signal from the terminal 34 via the data communication unit 11, analyzes the received signal with the control unit 15, and recognizes that an emergency situation has occurred. The control unit 15 operates the external line connection unit 13a to operate the external line connection unit 13a in the telephone 71 or 73 or the cellular phone corresponding to the telephone number registered in advance for notification in the data storage unit 15b. 72 is connected via the public telephone line network 100, and a voice message notifying that an emergency situation has occurred is transmitted.

The callee who has received the message by the telephones 71, ... transmits a predetermined tone signal from the telephones 71, .... The central processing unit 10 operates the voice communication unit 12 as the control unit 15 when receiving the predetermined tone signal. In the terminal 34 which transmitted the abnormal state information, the voice communication unit 42 is set to the standby state, and when the terminal 34 receives a call signal from the voice communication unit 12 of the central processing unit 10, The communication unit 21 starts operation.

By the above operation, the voice of the user carrying the terminal 34 can be monitored by the telephones 71, ... through the voice input unit 45, so that the user's situation can be checked. In addition, if necessary, the user can be called by the voice of the callee from the voice output unit 44 via the telephones 71,...

In the present embodiment, both the audio output unit 44 and the audio input unit 45 are provided in the terminal 34. However, if necessary, one of the audio output unit 44 and the voice input unit 45 may be provided in the terminal 34.

Further, the telephone number stored in the data storage unit 15b is pressed by pressing the emergency call button of the terminal having the priority and emergency call function of the notification destination used when the terminal having the intrusion detection function detects the intrusion. It may be set separately so that the priority of the notification destinations used in the case is different.

The central processing unit may notify a co-worker in the same residence without communicating with a telephone registered for notification. In this case, the audio signal from the terminal is not transmitted to the external telephone, but is amplified and output from the audio output unit 12a of the central processing unit 10. Therefore, the central processing unit 10 can check the situation by the voice of the user carrying the terminal 34. In this case, the audio signal is output from the audio input unit 12b of the central processing unit 10 to the terminal 34. Therefore, the user carrying the terminal 34 can be called by voice from the central processing unit 10.

In addition, when receiving the signal indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation from the terminal 34, the central processing unit 10 may instruct the at least one terminal other than the terminal 34 to issue an alarm. In this case, the alarm is set to hold for a relatively short time. Therefore, it is possible to call the attention of the domestic residents in the same residence for the occurrence of an emergency situation.

A terminal having a voice communication function therein has the following advantages over the conventional configuration in which only the central processing unit has a voice communication function. The situation that you want to confirm externally is the situation near the place where an abnormal state such as an intrusion occurred to the last, and it is meaningless to know the situation near the central processing unit. In this system, a threat or a call can be directly executed at a place where an abnormal state occurs, so that an effect of suppressing an intruder's invasion into a house can be realized, and the security that is given to an emergency call sender is increased. do. In particular, the present invention is very advantageous when the place where the emergency situation occurs is far from the central processing unit or partitioned by a door.

As described above, according to the monitoring system of the present embodiment, communication devices such as a terminal and a central processing unit or a terminal and an external telephone can communicate with each other by voice. In addition, the intruder around the terminal can be threatened with a voice through the voice output means of the terminal provided with the intrusion detection means, and the situation around the terminal can be monitored by the voice through the voice input means. In addition, the user carrying the terminal with the emergency call means can be called through the voice output means of the terminal, and the user's situation can be confirmed through the voice input means.

In this embodiment, the terminal and the external telephone, or the terminal and the central processing unit can communicate with each other by voice. However, depending on the user's setting, the central processing unit and the external telephone may communicate with each other. In addition, when the terminal and the external telephone cannot communicate with each other due to the destruction of the terminal by an intruder, the failure of the terminal, the voltage drop of the battery of the terminal, or the communication between the terminal and the central processing unit, the central processing unit is external. The control may be automatically switched to allow communication with the telephone, or an alarm may be issued or stopped from the central processing unit by transmitting a predetermined tone signal from an external telephone.

When an intrusion or emergency call occurs, the control unit 15 operates the external interface 13c and is connected to an external terminal 13d such as a surveillance camera 62, an internet camera 63, a flashlight 64, and the like. By closing the voltage-free contacts of existing external devices, these external devices can be operated. Therefore, the video footage of the place where the invasion has occurred can be captured by the monitoring camera 62 and recorded in a recording device provided separately. In addition, an invasion place or a place where an emergency situation occurs is photographed by the Internet camera 63, and the image information is transmitted to the data server 75 (hereinafter referred to as "center server") via the Internet. The center server records the information on a recording medium such as an internal hard disk so that the information can be viewed on the WEB. Therefore, the user can access the center server through the Internet, browse the WEB, and check the video footage of the site. The video scene of the place photographed with the internet camera 63 can also be transmitted by e-mail to a predetermined address. In addition, by flashing the flash light 64, it is possible to notify the neighbor of an abnormal occurrence or to threaten an intruder.

In addition, a predetermined tone signal may be transmitted from the telephones 71, ..., and the central processing unit 10 may receive it. In this case, upon receiving the signal, the central processing unit 10 operates external devices such as the surveillance camera 62, the Internet camera 63, and the flashlight 64 connected to the external terminal 13d, or Alternatively, the operation may be stopped.

As an external device connected to the external terminal 13d, a lighting device and a home appliance in a house may be used, and the central processing unit 10 may receive a predetermined tone signal from the telephones 71,... . In this case, when the central processing unit 10 receives the tone signal, the central processing unit 10 operates the lighting device or the home appliance connected to the external terminal 13d to threaten the intruder according to the notification of the intrusion, or the user collects. It may be disguised as in.

In addition, the central processing unit 10 periodically sends an operation confirmation signal to the terminal in order to confirm whether the terminal operates normally, and determines that the terminal is normal when receiving a predetermined normal operation signal from the terminal. When the predetermined normal operation signal cannot be received from the terminal, the central processing unit 10 determines that the terminal is abnormal, records the history in the data storage unit 15b, and displays the operation unit 14 display. The history is displayed on the screen.

(2nd Embodiment)

5 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the central processing unit 10 in the monitoring system. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the communication method between the CPU and the terminal. More specifically, in the first embodiment (see Fig. 2), the data communication unit and the voice communication units 11 and 12 are provided separately. In this embodiment, the communication unit is integrated by multiplexing and separating data and audio signals.

In Fig. 5, the central processing unit 10a according to the present invention includes a data processor 16 for processing data, a voice processor 17 for modulating and demodulating a voice signal, and a mixing / multiplexing data and voice signal. A mixing / splitting communication unit 18 is provided.

When the mixing / separating communication unit 18 transmits data and audio signals from the central processing unit 10a, the mixing / separation communication unit 18 mixes and transmits the data and audio signals by frequency multiplexing. When data and voice signals are received from the terminal 30, the mixing / separation communication unit 18 separates the received signals into data and voice signals. Although the frequency multiplexing method is used as the multiplexing method, any method such as a time division multiplexing method or an encoding multiplexing method can be used. By performing multiplexing and separation, the high frequency circuit for wireless communication can be shared. Other components are the same as in the first embodiment (see Fig. 2).                 

6 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the intrusion detection terminal 31. The terminal 31a according to the present embodiment is a data processing unit that processes data instead of the data communication unit 41 and the voice communication unit 42 used in the configuration of the terminal 31 shown in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. 48), a voice processing section 49 for modulating and demodulating voice signals, and a mixing / separating communication section 50 for multiplexing data and voice signals.

When the intrusion sensor 43 detects the occurrence of the intrusion at the terminal 31a, the abnormal state information composed of the code indicating the occurrence of the abnormal state (intrusion occurrence) and the terminal code of the terminal 31a is stored in the data processing unit 48. It is transmitted wirelessly to the central processing unit (10a) by the mixing / separating communication unit 50 through.

The audio signal received from the central processing unit 10a is separated by the mixing / separating communication unit 50 of the terminal 31a, and demodulated by the voice processing unit 49 as a voice signal. The demodulated speech signal is amplified by the speech output section 44 so that the amplified sound is output. The voice generated around the terminal 31a and collected by the voice input unit 45 is modulated by the voice processing unit 49 and transmitted from the mixing / separating communication unit 50 to the central processing unit 10a.

The configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to an emergency call terminal.

Although the present embodiment has been described as using a telephone or a public telephone line network, a communication device such as a personal computer or a portable information terminal may be used, or a dedicated line or the Internet may be used.

As described above, according to this embodiment of the invention, the high frequency circuit required for data communication and voice communication can be shared.

(Third Embodiment)

In this embodiment, a description will be given of a system configuration in which the terminal can confirm whether or not a notification or operation instruction of an emergency situation occurrence from a terminal by a user has been safely received by an external telephone or a central processing unit.

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal provided with an emergency call button. As shown in FIG. 7, the terminal 34a according to the present embodiment includes a data communication unit 41, a control unit 46, an emergency call button 47, a display unit 51, and a notification unit 52. Equipped with. The emergency call button 47 is composed of a pushbutton switch. The user can press this pushbutton switch to notify the occurrence of an emergency.

When the control section 46 receives the abnormal state signal (signal indicating that the user is in an emergency situation) from the emergency call button 47, the control section 46 sends the abnormal state information including the terminal code and the status code to the data communication unit ( 41) to the CPU 10 wirelessly.

The display unit 51 is constituted by light emitting means such as an LED, and blinks to notify the user of predetermined information. The notification unit 52 generates a voice to notify the user of the predetermined information.

8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal provided with an operation unit for remotely controlling the central processing unit 10. The terminal 35 includes a data communication unit 41, a control unit 46, a display unit 51, a notification unit 52, and an operation unit 53 that can be remotely controlled. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 53 includes a plurality of pushbutton switches. The user can remotely operate the CPU 10 by pressing this pushbutton switch. The term " remote operation " herein refers to an operation of controlling the central processing unit 10 to start a monitoring operation in a monitoring area or to cancel a monitoring operation. When the control section 46 receives an operation signal (signal indicating that the user starts or stops the monitoring operation of the central processing unit 10) from the operation section 53, the control section 46 generates a code corresponding to the operation signal. Is transmitted from the data communication unit 41 to the central processing unit 10 together with its own terminal code.

The overall operation of the monitoring system using the terminals 34a and 35 will now be described.

First, an operation relating to an emergency call using the terminal 34a will be described. When an intrusion occurs when the user is at home and needs urgent action, or when the user's physical condition changes suddenly and needs external contact, when the user presses the emergency call button 47 of the terminal 34a, the terminal ( The address code of 34a and the status code indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation are transmitted to the central processing unit 10. The central processing unit 10 reads the voice message corresponding to the received status code of the occurrence of the emergency situation from the data storage unit 15b, and registers the voice message for registration via the external connection unit 13a for notification. 71, ...).

The callee who receives the notification by the telephones 71, ... transmits a predetermined tone signal from the telephones 71, ... in order to notify the user that the contact has confirmed the intrusion. The central processing unit 10 receives this signal via the external connection 13a, and receives a confirmation signal from the data communication unit 11 indicating that the person reliably confirmed the occurrence of an emergency situation in the monitoring area. It transmits to the terminal 34a. The terminal 34a receives this acknowledgment signal from the data communication unit 41, causes the display unit 51 to flash for a predetermined time in accordance with the acknowledgment signal, and causes the notification unit 52 to generate sound. Therefore, the user can recognize that the emergency call has been confirmed by the called party.

In this embodiment, although both the display part 51 and the notification part 52 are provided in the terminal 34a, you may provide either the display part 51 and the notification part 52 as needed. Although the callee confirms reception of the notification of occurrence of an emergency situation by transmitting a tone signal, the same effect as described above can be obtained even by using information indicating that the connection to the external telephone is completed. In addition, confirmation of reception can also be performed by sending an electronic mail using another communication device, such as a mobile telephone.

As described above, when the terminal receives a signal indicating that abnormality occurrence information has been confirmed by a communication device other than a residence, the display unit of the terminal blinks for a predetermined time, or the notification unit generates a voice for a predetermined time. In this way, the user of the terminal can know that abnormal state occurrence information has been securely confirmed by a communication device outside the residence.

Hereinafter, an operation relating to a remote operation for setting / releasing a boundary operation using the terminal 35 will be described. The user can execute the remote operation of setting / releasing the alerting operation with the operation unit 53 of the terminal 35. When the user sets / releases the boundary action by the operation unit 53 of the terminal 35, the operation code corresponding to the instruction for setting / releasing the boundary action, which is the content of the operation input, and the address code of the terminal 35 are the central processing unit. Is sent to (10).

In response to the reception of such a code, the central processing unit 10 transmits a command for setting / releasing a boundary operation to all terminals other than the terminal 35 on which operation input has been performed. When the central processing unit 10 completes the process of setting / releasing the alert operation, the data communication unit 11 transmits an operation acceptance confirmation signal indicating that the processing for the operation code is completed.

Upon reception of this signal, the terminal 35 flashes the display unit 51 for a predetermined time, and simultaneously causes the notification unit 52 to generate sound for a predetermined time. Therefore, the user can confirm that the remote operation has been received by the central processing unit 10.

In this embodiment, although both the display part 51 and the notification part 52 are provided in the terminal 35, you may provide either the display part 51 and the notification part 52 as needed.

In addition, the following applications can also be realized. The central processing unit 10 stores the state information transmitted from the terminal 31 including the intrusion sensor in the data storage unit 15b. In the case of receiving boundary setting information from the terminal 35 provided with the operation unit 53, if the state information stored in the terminal 31 indicates "open", the central processing unit 10 is abnormal for the door lock check. Is displayed on the display panel of the operation unit 14, and the door lock check abnormality signal is transmitted to the terminal 35 provided with the operation unit 53. When the terminal 35 receives the door lock check abnormal signal, the terminal 35 notifies the user of the door lock check abnormality.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a command for setting / releasing the alert operation can be transmitted from the terminal to the central processing unit by remote operation. In addition, the following advantages are provided by providing the acknowledgment function to the terminal. The place where the user wants to confirm the reception of the operation performed by the user is the place where the abnormal state has occurred or the place where the remote operation is executed, and the fact that the fact can be confirmed near the central processing unit is meaningless. In addition, since operation acceptance can be confirmed at the place where an abnormal state occurs, the security to be given to the emergency call sender is increased, and the convenience for the user who performs the remote operation is improved. In particular, the present invention is very advantageous when the place where the remote operation is performed is far from the central processing unit or partitioned by a door.

In this embodiment, the remote operation is to set and cancel the monitoring operation for the central processing unit. However, another remote operation such as remote operation of turning on / off the power of the central processing unit can realize the same effect as above. In addition, the remote operation of controlling the operation of another apparatus related to the central processing unit by a wireless system or a wired system can realize the same effect as above.

As mentioned above, according to this invention, display means is provided in the terminal provided with the emergency call means or operation input means, and it can visually confirm appropriate completion of reception or operation input of the emergency call outside the residence, and is safe. Feel and operability are improved. In addition, by providing a notification means in a terminal provided with an emergency call means or an operation input means, an appropriate completion of reception or operation input of an emergency call outside the housing can be confirmed audibly near, thereby improving security and operability. . By appropriately selecting such display means and notification means in accordance with the user's sensory function, adaptability to the elderly can be improved.

(4th Embodiment)

The monitoring system according to the present embodiment enables the central processing unit to execute alarm and threat operations through the terminal when the notification of occurrence of an abnormal state is transmitted from the terminal to the central processing unit.

9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal with an intrusion detection function according to the present embodiment. The terminal 31b includes a data communication unit 41, a voice communication unit 42, an intrusion sensor 43, a voice output unit 44, a voice input unit 45, a control unit 46, and a notification unit 52. have. The notification unit 52 executes notification by sound or blinking of the LED.

10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal having a function of detecting the presence of a human in the present embodiment. The terminal 33 includes a data communication unit 41, a voice communication unit 42, a voice output unit 44, a voice input unit 45, a control unit 46, a notification unit 52, and a human body sensor 54. have. The human body detecting sensor 54 is composed of a pyroelectric infrared sensor, so that the terminal 33 has a human body detecting function. By attaching the terminal 33 to the passage, it is possible to detect an intruder entering the passage. When the human body sensor 54 detects an intruder, an abnormal state signal (signal indicating that there is an invader) is output to the control unit 46. Upon reception of this signal, the control unit 46 wirelessly transmits the abnormal state information including its own terminal code to the central processing unit 10 via the data communication unit 41.

Hereinafter, the operation of the monitoring system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11.

When the alert mode is set on the operation unit 14 of the central processing unit 10 by the user who goes out (S11, S12), a confirmation request signal for confirming the existence of the terminal set to an abnormal state is the central processing unit 10. Is transmitted from the data communication unit 11 to the respective terminals 31, 33, ... (S13).

In each terminal 31, 33, ..., when the data communication part 41 of each terminal 31, 33, ... receives a confirmation request signal, the intrusion sensor 43 is controlled by the control part 46. FIG. ) And the output state of the human body sensor 54 is confirmed. When the terminal 30 confirms that the monitor 30 is in a normal state such as a window or a door of the monitoring place is closed or there is no abnormality in the passage, the controller of the terminal 30 sends a status check signal indicating a normal / abnormal state to the central processing unit ( 10). When the CPU 10 receives the status confirmation signal from the terminal, the central processing unit 10 returns a notification reset signal to the terminal. When the terminal receives the notification reset signal, the terminal completes the transmission of the status confirmation signal. If the terminal cannot receive the notification reset signal from the central processing unit 10, the terminal repeats the transmission of the status confirmation signal a predetermined number of times.

If the central processing unit 10 confirms that all the terminals 31, 33, ... are in a normal state by the status confirmation signal received from the terminals 31, 33, ... (No in S13), The central processing unit 10 starts the alert operation (S15).

Meanwhile, when at least one of all terminals is in an abnormal state, for example, when a window or a door of the monitoring place is open, or when the wind is blowing and the curtain shakes and enters a passage, a status check signal indicating an abnormal state is provided by the central processing unit 10. Is sent). When the CPU 10 confirms that a terminal is in an abnormal state, the start of the alert operation is suspended. The central processing unit 10 transmits a notification request signal to the terminal in the abnormal state so as to notify the user that the abnormal state is present (S14).

When the terminal receives the notification request signal from the central processing unit 10, the terminal operates the notification unit 52 to issue an alarm and to blink the LED. The user hears this alarm, or sees a blinking LED, identifies the window that detected an abnormal condition, and closes the window. Accordingly, the terminal outputting the status confirmation signal indicating the abnormal state outputs the status confirmation signal indicating the normal state, and the monitoring place is set to the normal state. The volume of the alarm is set lower than the volume of the alarm generated when an abnormal state is detected during the alert operation. As described above, when all the terminals are in the normal state (S13), the terminal is set to the boundary operation according to the above procedure and the boundary operation is started (S15).

Even when it is difficult to know the monitoring place even by the alarm sound or the blinking of the LED, the terminal (by the voice communication unit 42 of the terminals 31, 33, ...) and the voice communication unit 12 of the central processing unit 10 are connected. 31, 33, ...) and the central processing unit 10 is capable of voice communication. Therefore, according to the installation site information of the terminal registered in advance in the central processing unit 10, the person on the central processing unit 10 side communicates with the person on the terminal side, and the person on the terminal side is sent to the person on the terminal side. The setting place can be notified, and the monitoring place can be confirmed.                 

In addition, according to the installation site information of the terminal registered in the data storage unit 15b, the voice of the terminals 31, 33, ... from the central processing unit 10 is used as the audio installation place of the terminal in an abnormal state. It transmits to the communication part 42. Therefore, the terminal can notify the user by voice of installation site information of the terminal in an abnormal state. The person on the terminal side can confirm the monitoring place in accordance with the voice notification contents.

When the central processing unit 10 confirms that all terminals are in a normal state, the central processing unit 10 transmits a command for setting the alerting operation to the terminal in order to start the alerting operation (S15). When the terminal receives the setting instruction of the alert operation, the terminal starts the transition to the alert state and transmits a transition confirmation signal to the central processing unit 10 indicating that the terminal has started the transition to the alert state. . When the central processing unit 10 receives the transition confirmation signal, the central processing unit 10 completes the transmission of the setting instruction of the alert operation. At this time, the central processing unit 10 repeats a predetermined number of times of transmitting the setting instruction of the alert operation to the terminal that does not receive the transition confirmation signal. Even when the central processing unit 10 repeats the transmission of the setting instruction a predetermined number of times, when there is a terminal that cannot receive the transition confirmation signal, the central processing unit 10 sets the operation history to be the device or more and the data storage unit 15b. ).

If an abnormal state occurs in the terminal during the alert operation, the terminal transmits the abnormal state information to the CPU 10 as described above. For example, when a window or a door in which a terminal with an intrusion sensor is installed is opened, the terminal transmits abnormal state information to the central processing unit 10. Upon receiving this information, the central processing unit 10 determines the specific terminal transmitting the signal and recognizes the intrusion (S16). The central processing unit 10 transmits a notification request signal to the specific terminal so as to execute threat notification in accordance with this information (S17).

Upon receiving the notification request signal from the central processing unit 10, the specific terminal operates the notification unit 52 to execute threat notification. In the threat method, the length of the threat time, the volume of the threat action, the threat content, and the like can be selected in advance. As the contents of the threat, the siren is normally sounded, but voice data " Who! &Quot; can be stored in the terminal or the central processing unit 10, and can be called and used for notification.

In addition to the threat notification request, the central processing unit 10 connects to a fixed telephone or the like corresponding to a pre-registered telephone number (71, ...) to notify the user of the place name where the intrusion occurred and the fact that the intrusion occurred. The voice message is transmitted (S17).

The user who receives the notification via the telephones 71, ... transmits a predetermined tone signal from the telephones 71, ... to the central processing unit 10 indicating receipt of the notification. The central processing unit 10 transmits a common call signal to a plurality of terminals. In the terminal for transmitting the abnormal signal, the voice communication unit is set in the standby state in advance. When the voice communication unit receives the common call signal from the voice communication unit of the central processing unit 10, the voice communication unit of the terminal operates to establish a voice communication link between the terminal and the telephones 71, ... (S18). Therefore, the voice around the terminal can be monitored by the telephones 71, ... through the voice input unit 24, and the situation around the terminal can be monitored (S19). When the voice communication link is established, the central processing unit 10 transmits a notification stop signal to the terminal, and terminates the threat notification (S19).                 

Also, if necessary, the user can threaten the intruder with the voice of the user from the voice output of the terminal via the telephone 71...

In the above description, the threat notification is terminated by setting the voice communication link, but upon receiving the tone signal requesting the stop of the alarm from the telephone 71, the central processing unit 10 sends a notification stop signal to the terminal. The threat notification can also be terminated by sending.

Further, upon receiving the tone signal requesting the alarm start from the telephones 71, ..., the central processing unit 10 may transmit a notification start signal to the terminal to initiate a threat notification. Therefore, the user can threaten the intruder by transmitting a predetermined tone signal if necessary while monitoring the situation around the terminal.

When the home alert mode is set when the user is in the house and is sleeping at night, when an invasion occurs, the voice signal from the terminal is not transmitted to the external telephone, but the voice output unit 12a of the central processing unit 10 is provided. Amplified from and output. Therefore, the central processing unit 10 can monitor the situation caused by the voice around the terminal. In this case, it is also possible to output a voice signal to the terminal from the voice input unit 12b of the central processing unit 10. Therefore, the central processing unit 10 can cause the intruder to threaten the user with respect to the terminal. In this case, the threat notification is continuously executed by the terminal until the voice communication between the terminal and the central processing unit 10 is established.

It should be noted that the terminal 33 with the human body sensor 54 is controlled in the same way as the terminal 31b with the intrusion sensor 43.

Although the operation in the setting operation of the boundary operation has been described above, the boundary operation can also be released by the operation unit 14 of the central processing unit 10. When the user sets the release of the alerting operation, the command to release the alerting operation is transmitted from the central processing unit 10 to the terminal 30. When the terminal receives the release instruction, the terminal shifts to the boundary release state.

In the above example, the alert mode is started when all terminals are set to the normal state (see steps S13 and S15), but some terminals may not be immediately set to the normal state when the battery is exhausted. In this case, the alert operation may be set for the terminal in the normal state before all the terminals are set to the normal state. The state of the terminal that cannot be set as the alert operation attempts to be checked at predetermined time intervals (for example, 5 minutes). If the terminal does not return to a normal state even after a predetermined number of times (eg, three times) attempting to be set to the normal state, it may be determined that the device is in an abnormal state and the history information of the device abnormality may be recorded in the central processing unit 10. As described below, the history information may be recorded in a predetermined server connected to the central processing unit 10 via the Internet 110.

As described above, when the terminal detects an abnormal state, the CPU can control the terminal to execute the threat notification, thereby threatening the intruder from the terminal at the intrusion occurrence place. Therefore, the intruder can be threatened at the initial stage of intrusion, and the intrusion suppression effect is improved.

In the above example, when the release command of the alert operation is transmitted from the central processing unit 10 to the terminal 30, the terminal 30 shifts to the alert release state in response to the alert release command, and the terminal releases the alert. A transition confirmation signal indicating the transition to the state is transmitted to the central processing unit 10. When the central processing unit 10 receives the transition confirmation signal, the central processing unit 10 completes the transmission of the release command of the alert operation. However, if communication is performed with all the terminals 30 in the above manner, it takes a long time to complete the communication with all the terminals, and some terminals cannot release the alert operation. If one of some of these terminals has, for example, a human body sensor, the terminal has the disadvantage of issuing an alarm when the user approaches the terminal. Therefore, when the central processing unit 10 issues the release command of the alerting operation, the command can be simultaneously released to release the alerting operation of the terminal 30 and all the terminals 30 simultaneously move to the alerting release state. Iii) Communication can also be performed. In this case, it is not necessary to return the transition confirmation signal from the terminal 30 to the central processing unit 10. In this case, as described above, the central processing unit 10 once executes the boundary release broadcast communication to cause the terminal 30 to enter the boundary release state. Subsequently, a confirmation operation is performed by mutual communication with respect to the terminal 30, and it is sequentially confirmed whether each terminal 30 has shifted to the boundary release state. This can improve both the convenience and the reliability of the demarcation.

Next, operation | movement regarding emergency call is demonstrated.

12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal with an emergency call function according to the present embodiment. The terminal 34b includes an emergency call button 47, a data communication unit 41, a voice communication unit 42, a voice output unit 44, a voice input unit 45, a control unit 46 and a notification unit 52. have. The function of each part is the same as above.

When the user carrying the terminal 34b shown in FIG. 12 presses the emergency call button 47 of the terminal 34b in an emergency, the address code of the terminal 34b and the emergency situation are generated as a signal indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation. A status code indicating is sent to the central processing unit 10. The terminal 34b transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation, and then sets the voice communication unit 42 to the standby state.

The central processing unit 10 refers to the data storage unit 15b according to the code received from the terminal 34b, retrieves the voice message corresponding to the received code, and registers the message for notification. And the like (71, ...).

The callee who has received the message via the telephones 71, ... transmits a predetermined tone signal to the central processing unit 10 via the telephones 71, .... In the terminal 34b that has transmitted a signal indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation, the voice communication unit 42 is set to the standby state. When the terminal 34b receives the call signal from the voice communication unit 12 of the central processing unit 10, the terminal 34b operates its own voice communication unit 42. Therefore, the voice of the user carrying the terminal 34b can be monitored by the telephones 71, ... through the voice communication unit 12 of the central processing unit 10, and the called party can monitor the current situation. You can check it. If necessary, the user in an emergency situation can be called as the voice of the person to be output from the voice output unit 44 of the terminal 34b via the telephones 71,...

After the terminal 34b transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of an emergency situation, the terminal 34b until the communication between the terminal 34b and the central processing unit 10 or the telephones 71, ... is established. The LED of the notification unit 52 blinks or a sound (buzzer sound) is generated to the audio output unit 44. Accordingly, it is possible to give a user a sense of security or threaten an intruder.

The central processing unit 10 can communicate not only with the telephone registered for notification by setting, but also with a domestic partner in the same house. In this case, the audio signal from the terminal is not transmitted to the external telephone, but is amplified and output by the audio output unit 12a of the central processing unit 10. Therefore, the central processing unit 10 can execute the status check by the voice of the user carrying the terminal 34b. In this case, the audio signal is output from the audio input unit 12b of the central processing unit 10 to the terminal 34b. Therefore, the user carrying the terminal 34 can be called by voice from the central processing unit 10.

As above, the terminal can communicate with the central processing unit or a pre-registered telephone. When an abnormal condition is detected by the terminal, the terminal executes a threat notification until the voice communication link is established with the terminal and the central processing unit or the telephone, so that the situation around the terminal with the central processing unit or a pre-registered external telephone is established. Can be monitored. Therefore, the situation of the site can be grasped from the remote location and voice communication can be executed, thereby threatening an intruder by voice from the remote location.

If the user is reluctant to threaten directly with the user's voice by voice communication from a remote location to the terminal, using voice data stored in the terminal or the central processing unit as the notification for threat, the user's voice is stored in advance instead of the user's voice. Since voice data can be used, the user can feel secure.

In the above example, the voice data stored for the threat may be expressed in at least one dialect. Thus, locality may be considered and threatened.

In addition, voice data stored for threats may be expressed in at least one foreign language. Therefore, it is possible to effectively threaten foreign intruders, and the system can be used in foreign countries.

In addition, the voice data stored for threat may be voice data for calling someone on the telephone. This voice data notifies the intruder that someone is contacting someone outside the residence, and can effectively threaten the intruder.

In addition, voice data for threats may be generated according to sounds around the terminal or voices of intruders. Therefore, the threat can be executed according to the intrusion situation, and it is not necessary to excite the intruder.

In addition, when the terminal detects an abnormal state, the terminal may store the voice around the terminal. Therefore, since the intrusion history is recorded, the history can be utilized for police investigation.

As described above, according to the monitoring system of the present embodiment, when the terminal detects an abnormal state, the central processing unit causes the terminal to execute threat notification, or the length of threat time, volume of threat operation, threat content, and the like. Control to directly execute a threat action from the terminal that detected the intrusion. Therefore, it is possible to threaten an intruder at an early stage of intrusion and also to effectively suppress the invasion.

(5th Embodiment)                 

In the present embodiment, a configuration of a monitoring system in which the terminal autonomously executes alert operation upon detecting an abnormal state will be described.

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal provided with an intrusion sensor in this embodiment. The terminal 31c includes a data communication unit 41, an intrusion sensor 43, a control unit 46, an alarm unit 54, and a data storage unit 55.

When the control unit 46 receives a command to start the boundary operation from the central processing unit 10 via the data communication unit 41, the control unit 46 autonomously starts the boundary operation as a terminal. Therefore, when the control part 46 receives the abnormal state signal from the intrusion sensor 43, it alerts itself via the alarm part 54 according to the procedure demonstrated later, and further, the central processing unit 10 Abnormal information including its own terminal code and a code indicating the occurrence of an abnormal condition.

The alarm unit 54 is composed of a buzzer capable of generating a loud sound.

The data storage unit 55 stores various setting information related to the alarm. More specifically, the data storage unit 55 has a set value of an alarm time (duration period) and a set value of a delay time from when the occurrence of an intrusion is detected by the intrusion sensor 43 to the actual alarm. Save it. The alarm delay time is needed for the following reasons. For example, when the intrusion sensor 43 is installed in the front door, it is detected as an intrusion even if the door is opened when the user returns home. In this case, if the alarm delay time is not set, there is a disadvantage that an alarm is issued immediately.

In addition, the data storage unit 55 has a setting value of the volume of the alarm unit 54, the setting of the type of alarm sound of the alarm unit 54 (for example, continuous sound or intermittent sound), setting and preliminary alarms. Stores the set value of the duration of the alarm. In this case, the setting of the preliminary alert is a setting for determining whether or not to execute a preliminary alert that prompts attention when the intrusion sensor 43 detects the occurrence of an intrusion. This preliminary alert is issued only for a relatively short time after the intrusion and before the full-scale alert, and the alert function can be realized more quickly for the intruder by calling attention without delay. It is preferable that the volume of the preliminary alarm, the kind of alarm sound, and the like differ from those in normal alert operation.

Hereinafter, the setting operation and the boundary operation of the terminal 31c will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 14 and 15. The setting of the setting value for the terminal 31c is executed by transmitting the setting information by wireless communication from the central processing unit 10 to the designated terminal at the time of initial setting of the terminal 31c or the like. As shown in Fig. 14, when the terminal 31c receives the setting information from the central processing unit 10 (S31), the terminal 31c reads out various setting values included in the received setting information, and sets the setting values ( That is, the alarm time, the alarm delay time, the alarm volume, the type of alarm sound, the preliminary alarm setting, and the set value of the preliminary alarm time) are stored in a predetermined area of the data storage unit 55 (S32 to S44).

When the terminal 31c does not receive the setting information from the central processing unit 10, the terminal 31c executes alert operation processing (S45). Hereinafter, the boundary operation processing will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

The alerting operation is started when the user sets on the operation unit 14 of the central processing unit 10. When the alerting operation is set on the operation unit 14, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the CPU 10 transmits an instruction by wireless communication to execute the alerting operation to the terminal to be alerted. The reason for sending the command of the alert operation to the terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed is to prevent the user who performs the setting from being mistakenly detected. When the terminal to be alerted receives a command (S51), the terminal starts an autonomous alert operation in which the terminal itself performs various judgments.

For example, in the boundary operation, when one of the windows and doors on which the terminal 31c is installed is opened, the intrusion sensor 43 detects an abnormal state (S53). At this time, a signal indicating the occurrence of an abnormal state is output to the data communication unit 41. Upon receiving this signal, the data communication unit 41 sequentially transmits its own address code and status code indicating the occurrence of intrusion to the central processing unit 10 (S54).

The central processing unit 10 receives this transmission signal, determines a specific terminal transmitting the signal, and recognizes the occurrence of intrusion. In addition, the central processing unit 10 connects to a telephone or a mobile telephone corresponding to a telephone number of a pre-registered callee, and transmits a voice message notifying the user of the place where the intrusion occurred and the fact that the intrusion occurred.

Immediately after the end of data communication with the central processing unit 10, the terminal 31c reads the setting information from the data storage unit 55 and executes the following operation according to the read setting value. More specifically, when the terminal 31c is set to execute the preliminary alert (S55), the terminal 31c issues a preliminary alert for the set time (S56). Further, after the set alarm delay time has elapsed (S57), an alarm is issued at the set volume for the set alarm volume during the set alarm time (S58).

When the terminal 31c receives a request for releasing the alerting operation from the central processing unit 10 (S52), the terminal 31c returns to the setting waiting process from the autonomous alerting state.

As mentioned above, although the terminal provided with an intrusion sensor was demonstrated, said autonomous alert operation | movement can be similarly applied also to the terminal of a kind different from the said kind.

As described above, the terminal can start or release the autonomous alert operation by the command from the central processing unit. Once the alert operation is initiated, the terminal executes the autonomous alert action and may also execute an alert action including a preliminary alert at the judgment of the terminal. The terminal can also transmit information indicating the occurrence of intrusion to the central processing unit. The central processing unit may perform certain processing including sending a message to an external telephone. This series of operations can be realized by bidirectional communication in the downstream direction from the central processing unit to the terminal and in the upstream direction from the terminal to the central processing unit.

As above, the terminal is configured to execute an autonomous alert operation, including an alert action. Therefore, compared with the conventional system equipped with the alarm means, only the central processing unit can threaten by directly alerting the place of intrusion. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent intruders from entering the house. In particular, the present invention is advantageous when the place is far from the central processing unit or partitioned by a door or the like.

The alarm unit 54 may be an alarm generating means such as a loudspeaker or a bell, in addition to the buzzer that generates a large volume. In addition, optical alarm means such as a flashlight or a rotating lamp may be used, and the same effects as described above can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present invention, the terminal itself can execute an autonomous alert operation including an alert operation, and can also issue an alert directly at a place where an abnormal condition occurs. In addition, once the instruction to start the alerting operation is received, even if the wireless communication situation becomes poor due to noise or the like, an alarm can be generated autonomously at the place. Therefore, a highly reliable monitoring system can be configured. In addition, by storing various setting values related to the alarm in the terminal, the type of alarm desired by the user can be centrally set in each terminal in the central processing unit.

(Sixth Embodiment)

As shown in FIG. 1, 2, and 5, the central processing unit 10 can be connected to the center server 75 on the Internet 110 via the network connection part 13b. Here, the following applications using a predetermined center server 75 on the Internet 110 can be considered.

The central processing unit 10 sequentially transmits the history of the alarm operation executed on the terminal to the center server 75. The center server records the history on a recording medium such as a hard disk in the center server, and sets the history so that the history can be viewed on a WEB (home page) configured for the monitoring system. Therefore, the user can check the alarm history by connecting to the center server via the Internet and browsing the WEB.

In addition, when setting or releasing the alerting operation, the central processing unit 10 connects to the center server via the Internet, and transmits the setting / release information of the alerting operation to the center server. The center server records the information in recording means such as a hard disk in the center server, and sets the information on the WEB so as to be viewable. Therefore, the user can check the boundary setting state and the boundary release state of the central processing unit by connecting to the center server via the Internet and viewing the WEB.

In addition, a button for instructing setting / release of a boundary operation for the central processing unit 10 is displayed on the WEB of the center server 75. When the user presses these buttons, command data corresponding to the buttons are transmitted from the center server 75 to the central processing unit 10 via the Internet 110. When the central processing unit 10 receives the command data, the central processing unit 10 executes setting / release of the alert operation. When there is an abnormality in the door lock check when the boundary setting is executed for the central processing unit 10 via the WEB, the fact of the setting failure can be displayed on the WEB.

In addition, the central processing unit 10 receives information indicating the opening or closing state of the window or the door from the terminal, and transmits the information to the center server 75. The center server 75 records the information in recording means such as an internal hard disk, and sets the information on the WEB so that it can be viewed. Therefore, the user can check the opening or closing state of the window or door by connecting to the center server via the Internet and viewing the WEB.

In addition, in consideration of the execution of the boundary setting through the WEB or the WEB viewing of the CPU 10, the personal identification number or the password for executing the boundary setting or the WEB viewing may be stored in the center server 75. . When the user executes the boundary setting or browses the WEB, the user is asked to enter a personal identification number or password. Only when the entered personal identification number or password matches that registered in the center server 75, the user may be allowed to execute boundary setting or WEB browsing.

As described above, the user can check the state of the surveillance system or set / cancel the alerting operation in any environment where the Internet can be used.

As mentioned above, although 6 embodiment of the monitoring system which concerns on this invention was described, the characteristics of this invention demonstrated by said 6 embodiment can be combined suitably, and can be applied. In the above embodiment, the operations executed at the time of setting the boundary operation have been mainly described. However, the order of communication setting and command transmission in the operation at the time of release of the alert operation can be regarded as the same as the order executed at the alert operation setting.

In addition, the monitoring system described in the above embodiment is a system for crime prevention or emergency notification. The term "abnormal state" as used herein means a state in which an intrusion has occurred or a state in which an emergency has occurred. Surveillance systems can also be used for other purposes, such as disaster prevention and medical services. In this case, the same system configuration can be used. More specifically, in the case of disaster prevention, the abnormal state includes a state such as fire, earthquake, gas leakage, or toxic gas generation. Detection means corresponding to this condition may be provided in the terminal. In the medical system, the abnormal state includes a sudden change state of physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, and blood components, and a detection means corresponding to such physiological indicators may be provided in the terminal as well. In such a case, it is a very effective means to confirm the situation of the place where the abnormal condition has occurred or to call the place as an external communication means.

The number of terminals is not limited to that described in the above example, and can be arbitrarily set as long as the address code and status code of the terminal can be specified.

Further, the intrusion detecting means of the above example is composed of a reed switch sensitive to the movement of the magnet of the movable portion. However, the same effect can be obtained by using a human body sensor such as a pyroelectric infrared sensor.

In addition, although the emergency call means in the above example is composed of a pushbutton switch, a means using another mechanical contact mechanism such as a mechanism in which the contact is closed by a grip may be used. In addition, in the case of using a means for automatically interlocking with a sensor for measuring a physiological index and transmitting a sudden change of state as the occurrence of an abnormal state, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

In addition, a camera for photographing the situation around the terminal may be provided in the terminal of the above example. When the terminal detects the occurrence of an intrusion or emergency situation, the camera photographs the situation of the place and stores the captured image information in the data storage unit 15b of the central processing unit 10, or stores the image information. It can also transmit to the center server 75. The center server 75 records the information in a recording means such as an internal hard disk, and sets the information on the WEB so that the information can be viewed.

In the above example, a wireless medium is used as the communication medium, but any communication medium such as wired communication, light line carrier communication, infrared communication, or optical fiber communication by a dedicated line can be used, and the same effects as described above can be obtained.

In addition, although this embodiment was described using a telephone or a public line, the present invention is not limited to this example. A communication device such as a personal computer or a portable information terminal may be used, or a dedicated line or the Internet may be used.

In the above example, the telephones 71, ... and the terminal are configured to communicate with each other using a telephone line. However, it is also possible to set up voice communication between the voice communication device as a predetermined notification destination and the terminal by using an Internet telephone via the Internet. Therefore, since only the Internet line needs to be connected to the central processing unit, the device can be rationalized and the communication cost can be reduced lower than the cost of voice communication by the conventional telephone line. Therefore, the system has an economic advantage.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations, modifications, and other uses may be made. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to what is specifically shown herein but may be defined by the appended claims.

Claims (35)

A plurality of terminals for monitoring whether a predetermined monitoring point is in a normal state or an abnormal state, and one central processing unit for controlling the setting / release of the boundary operation of each terminal, The central processing unit includes communication means for receiving information on a normal / abnormal state from the terminal and transmitting predetermined information including a command to the terminal, The terminal is provided with communication means for transmitting information on a normal / abnormal state to the central processing unit, and receiving the predetermined information from the central processing unit, At least one of the plurality of terminals may include remote operation means for transmitting information for setting or releasing a boundary operation by a user's operation, and receiving transmission of the information in response to a confirmation signal from the central processing unit. Notification means for notifying that there is at least one of a visual method and an audio method, When the central processing unit receives the transmission of the information from the at least one terminal, the central processing unit transmits an instruction for setting or releasing an alert operation to a terminal other than the at least one terminal. At least one of the plurality of terminals includes an opening and closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing state of the opening and closing mechanism including a door or window, the central processing unit further comprises a storage means and a display means, The central processing unit stores the opening and closing state information transmitted from the terminal having the opening and closing sensor in the storage means, When receiving the setting information of the alert operation from the terminal equipped with the remote control means, if the opening / closing information stored in the storage means is open, the central processing unit is a door-lock check abnormality. Display on the display means, and transmit a door lock check abnormality signal to the terminal equipped with the remote control means; And the terminal notifies, via the notification means, that the door lock check abnormal signal is received. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals further comprises control means for receiving a command from the central processing unit and autonomously initiating alert operation, and an alarm means for issuing an alarm when an abnormal condition occurs. Surveillance system, characterized in that. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals comprises: an emergency call unit for transmitting information indicating an abnormal state by a user's operation, and for executing notification by at least one of a visual method and an audio method. Further provided with means, When the central processing unit receives the information indicating the abnormal state from the emergency call unit of the at least one terminal, and transmits a confirmation signal to the terminal, and the terminal receives the confirmation signal from the central processing unit And notifying that the transmission of the information can be accepted through a notification means. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals comprises at least one of an open / close sensor for detecting an open / closed state of an open / close mechanism including a door or a window, a human body sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a human body, an alarm means; And a control means for receiving an instruction from the central processing unit and initiating autonomous alert operation, and when an abnormal condition occurs, an alarm is issued through the alarm means. The terminal of claim 2 or 4, wherein the CPU further comprises an operation unit used for setting or releasing a boundary operation, and when the boundary setting is inputted by the operation unit, the terminal transmits the boundary operation to the terminal after a predetermined time. A monitoring system, characterized by transmitting a setting command. 5. The monitoring system according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the at least one terminal comprises storage means for storing delay time information for delaying an alarm issuance by the alarm means for a predetermined time after an abnormal condition occurs. . The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the alarm means issues a normal alarm after issuing a preliminary alarm when an abnormal condition occurs. 8. The monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the terminal is provided with storage means capable of storing at least one of a notification time, a volume, and an alarm type for at least one of a normal alarm and a preliminary alarm. The monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of a notification time, a volume, and an alarm sound type relating to at least one of a normal alarm and a preliminary alarm stored in the terminal is commanded by the central processing unit. . The alarm processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the central processing unit receives information indicating an abnormal state from a terminal provided with an emergency call unit, the central processing unit transmits an alarm generation command to another terminal provided with other alarming means to alert the other terminal. Monitoring system for causing an alarm to be issued to the means. delete delete The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU returns a notification reset signal to the terminal upon receiving information regarding a normal or abnormal state transmitted from the terminal, and the terminal receives the notification reset signal upon receiving the notification reset signal. Surveillance system, characterized in that to complete the transmission. The monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein when the terminal cannot receive the notification reset signal from the central processing unit, the terminal repeats the transmission of information about a normal or abnormal state a predetermined number of times. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal receives an instruction for setting or releasing a boundary operation from the central processing unit, the terminal transitions to a boundary setting or boundary release state, and transmits a transition confirmation signal to the central processing unit. And the central processing unit completes the transmission of the command in response to the transition confirmation signal. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the central processing unit further includes a storage means, and repeats the transmission of the boundary setting or the boundary release command a predetermined number of times to a terminal which cannot receive the transition confirmation signal, and repeats the transmission of the command a predetermined number of times. And if there is a terminal that is unable to receive the transfer confirmation signal, the central processing unit stores the terminal in the storage means that the terminal is abnormal. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit further comprises storage means for storing information relating to a normal or abnormal state, including an operation history or an alarm history of the terminal. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing unit further comprises display means for displaying information relating to a normal or abnormal state. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals detects a voltage of the driving battery and the battery, and transmits a voltage drop signal to the central processing unit when the detected battery voltage becomes below a predetermined voltage. With a unit, And the central processing unit, on receipt of the voltage drop signal from the at least one terminal, displays on the display means that the battery of the terminal is exhausted. delete The public network connection means according to claim 1, wherein, when the central processing unit receives information on an abnormal state, the central processing unit connects to at least one communication device registered in advance by an external line, and notifies the communication device of occurrence of an abnormal state. Surveillance system characterized in that it further comprises. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the central processing unit further comprises voice communication means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal between the microphone, the speaker, and the communication device, And said central processing unit enables communication with said communication device when a predetermined confirmation signal is returned from said communication device to said central processing unit in response to a notification to said communication device. 23. The monitoring system according to claim 22, wherein the central processing unit is capable of setting or releasing a boundary operation upon receiving a predetermined setting signal from the communication device. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least one of the terminals comprises voice communication means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal between a microphone, a speaker, and a central processing unit, The central processing unit includes voice communication means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal with the communication device, The central processing unit is configured to enable the communication device and the terminal to communicate through the central processing unit when a predetermined confirmation signal from the communication device is returned to the central processing unit in response to the notification to the communication device. Surveillance system, characterized in that. The method according to claim 21, wherein when the CPU receives information indicating an abnormal state from the terminal and transmits the information to the communication device, when a predetermined confirmation signal is returned from the communication device to the CPU, And the central processing unit transmits an alarm stop instruction signal to a terminal that issues an alarm. The monitoring system according to claim 25, wherein the central processing unit transmits an alarm generation command or an alarm stop command to the terminal upon receiving a predetermined signal for generating or stopping an alarm. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the central processing unit, if a predetermined confirmation signal is not returned from the notified communication device within a predetermined time, sequentially selects another communication device registered in advance and performs the same procedure for the other communication device. Monitoring system, characterized in that the notification. 28. The storage device according to claim 27, wherein when the central processing unit cannot confirm communication even after it has traveled a previously registered communication device a predetermined number of times, the central processing unit stores, as a history, information indicating that the communication cannot be confirmed. And displaying the information on the display means. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit further comprises an Internet connection means for connecting the center server via the Internet in two-way communication. The monitoring system according to claim 29, wherein the central processing unit transmits predetermined history information including an alarm history to the center server. 30. The monitoring system according to claim 29, wherein the center server is provided with a WEB capable of confirming a boundary setting state and a boundary release state of the central processing unit. The monitoring system according to claim 29, wherein the center server is configured with a WEB capable of executing boundary setting and alarm cancellation of the central processing unit. 33. The monitoring system according to claim 32, wherein the center server displays the fact of setting failure on the WEB when there is an abnormality of door lock check when executing the boundary setting of the central processing unit on the WEB. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit has an external output terminal to which an external device can be connected. 2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing unit includes storage means for storing a predetermined personal identification number necessary for setting or releasing a warning operation.

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